Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
Lemon-garlic cream sauce gives these shrimp a rich coating with a bright edge. Parmesan brings a savory note, and chopped parsley freshens the pan. It's a good dinner to sit down to when you're craving tender shrimp with plenty of creamy sauce around them.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Dry the prepared shrimp
Pat the thawed, peeled shrimp dry before starting the sauce so they are ready to add.
2. Cook the flour briefly
Stir the flour into melted butter and cook it briefly before adding garlic and the sauce liquids.
3. Watch the simmer
Reduce the heat if the sauce bubbles fiercely or thickens too quickly while the shrimp cook through.
Get to know the ingredients
Heavy cream
Keep the listed heavy cream; milk or half-and-half may curdle with the lemon.
Lemon juice and zest
Both lemon juice and zest enter the sauce with cream and Italian seasoning before the shrimp.
Fresh Parmesan
Stir freshly grated Parmesan into the cooked shrimp with parsley, then take the skillet off the heat.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Creamy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Season and serve immediately
After stirring in cheese and parsley, remove from the heat, adjust salt and pepper and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Tails are your choice
The preparation directions allow removing the shrimp tails if you prefer before patting the shrimp dry.
Let sauce start first
Simmer the lemon-cream mixture briefly before adding the shrimp, which cook in the sauce until done.
A few questions you might have
Can I substitute milk for heavy cream?
Milk and half-and-half aren't recommended because the lemon juice creates a strong risk of curdling.
When is the garlic added?
Add it after cooking flour in the butter, then cook briefly before adding lemon and cream.
Do the shrimp cook in a separate pan?
No, the prepared shrimp go directly into the simmered cream sauce and cook there until cooked through.
When does Parmesan go into the sauce?
Stir it in after the shrimp are cooked, together with parsley, then take the skillet off the heat.
What if the sauce thickens too quickly?
The directions say to reduce the heat a little if it bubbles too vigorously or thickens too fast.
Any more cooking tips?
I do NOT recommend subbing the cream for half-and-half or milk because there is a very good chance the lemon juice will curdle the sauce. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
